Danyl Apilado
HU300-25 Art and Humanities: Twentieth Century and Beyond
The Holocaust: A Result of Stereotype
Professor Ken Caron
September 7, 2010
The Holocaust: A Result of Stereotype
Throughout history, past ideas and events have shaped the course of the future. The events and ideas that were most significant were most often repeated movements that left major impacts on the cultural aspects of civilizations and the transitions through different past periods. Some of these ideas and events are often influenced by stereotypes. Stereotypes are oversimplifications of people groups widely circulated in certain societies (Kareem, n.d). In the United States, for example, racial groups are linked to stereotypes such as being good at math, athletics, dancing and so forth. So well-known are these stereotypes in the U.S. that the average American likely wouldn’t hesitate if asked to identify which racial group in this country is known for excelling in basketball (Fein, von Hippel, & Spencer, 1999). In short, when one stereotypes, one repeats the cultural mythology already present in a particular society. One of the main events in the twentieth century that are influenced by stereotypes is the Holocaust tragedy that occurred in World War II.
The Holocaust was the destruction of European Jewry by the Nazis through an officially sanctioned, government-ordered, systematic plan of mass annihilation. It remains one of recent history's most horrific events. It was a time in which humans turned against humans and millions of innocent victims were wiped out by virtue of their religion or race. Gas chambers, starvation and illness became a way of life for those ordered into the concentration camps to try and survive inhumane conditions. When it was over and stories of survival began to emerge the world was horrified by what it heard people had been forced to endure. While no one can deny the horrific nature of the Holocaust the byproduct that came from,...